New molecular diodes for rectenna applications
H. Bidotti1, H. Yasset2, D. Duché2, O. Margeat3, M. Ben Youssef4, D. Gigmes1
1Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Radicalaire (ICR), Marseille
2Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut Nanomatériaux Microélectronique Nanosciences de Provence (IM2NP), Marseille
3Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centre interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (CINaM), Marseille
4AUniversité de Lille, CNRS, Institut d'Electronique Microélectronique et Nanotechnologie (IEMN), Villeneuve d'Ascq
The proliferation of portable devices, their growing integration into human lives and the surrounding environment, and the necessity to keep them powered have led to an increasing interest in radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting and its use in wireless mobile devices charging. The obvious advantage of harvesting this type of energy is that it is free and green. To scavenge efficiently the ambient RF energy emitted by a large number of radio transmitters around us and to convert it as a usable energy a rectenna device is mandatory. Building on the strong foundations of antenna theory, a rectenna is constructed from a carefully designed antenna that collects/interacts with the electromagnetic waves and a diode rectifier which turns this energy into a direct current power (see Figure)[1]. To allow a maximum transfer of electricity, the response time of the molecular diode is a critical parameter and this latter is intimately related to the size of the gap because it creates an ultrafast tunnel junction between the rectenna's two electrodes but also to the excited state lifetime of the molecular rectifier. By combining an antenna of adapted size and shape to an ultrafast-converting molecular diode (figure 2), devices yielding a DC current and operating an efficient electromagnetic wave-to-electron conversion can be obtained. However, such a combination is still a challenge that has been taken up by many and has yet to be accomplished.
Here, we present unprecedented works on two types of molecular diodes based on ferrocene derivatives and “full-organic” compounds designed as molecular rectifiers. In this communication we will present the synthesis of the molecular diodes as well as their performance particularly in terms of current rectification.
Working principle of a rectenna and well known molecular diodes
References
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[2] Aviram, A.; Ratner, M. A. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1974, 29 (2), 277.
[3] Thuo, M. M.; Reus, W. F.; Nijhuis, C. A.; Barber, J. R.; Kim, C.; Schulz, M. D.; Whitesides, G. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 2962